Chapter 7 Holder of the One Ring

So sorry, I've been busy on other stories. And no I haven't given this one up, its too cool for that.

Vader gazed out across the horizon, slowly breathing in the cool night air. Above him the stars glistened beautifully. But Vader could not shake off the worry which wracked his brains. Galadriel's words had set him on edge, but it was more than this. It was a strange feeling which covered him like a black shadow. Something was wrong with this conflict. He didn't know what, but he could sense something ominous. The dark side was tricky to read sometimes.

The Sith Lord's scarred eyes moved back and forth across the open landscape. Everything was working out perfectly. The nations of Middle Earth were dropping like flies before Dugal's armies. Sauron and his armies had all but faded as a dark memory in every Stormtrooper's mind. All that left was to fall upon the Shire, where the armies of Rivendell had fled. Then nearly all of Middle Earth would be secured under the Emperor's control.

But what was he afraid of? That Sauron would reappear and defeat him? No. Sauron was not strong enough for such a large offensive. Vader shook his head. It wasn't that Sauron himself wasn't strong enough, for Vader had never fought against a mightier foe. It was Sauron's armies. Their old outdated arrows, even when fused with dark magic were only effective for small raids and guerrilla tactics.

But still the nagging doubt remained. Vader closed his eyes. Why did the Dark Side fail him when he needed it most? Like a child in the hands of a father Vader looked to the Dark Side for aid, but now it had abandoned him. Something was very wrong with how easy this was coming. It was too easy. There was no way that Sauron would so easily accept Vader's massive takeover of Middle Earth.

Darth Vader immediately turned, and marched back into camp. He marched past the sleeping stormtroopers and kept walking until he arrived at the spot where Galadriel lay sleeping. Her legs and arms had been handcuffed.

"Galadriel," her eyes fluttered open quickly.

The elf maiden gazed up at Vader.

"Come with me," Vader reached down and unhooked the cuffs on her legs.

Slowly Galadriel rose to her feet and followed. When they were far enough away Vader turned to her.

"Sauron has been a puzzle to me since the moment I met him," Vader began. "He's like me, I guess you could say, but different. Much different. Why he has allowed me to conquer over half of Middle Earth, I have no idea. I need you to tell me, where can I find him?"

Galadriel raised an eyebrow and gazed into Vader's eyes, as if searching inside for his soul.

"If he isn't in Mordor then I have no idea," Galadriel spoke truthfully.

"But you are an elf," Vader said. "You of all should know about the Necromancer's habits."

"That is true," Galadriel said. "And because I know about Sauron I can tell you that you won't find him."

Vader looked up, surprised. Galadriel shook her head slowly.

"He will find you," she murmured. "And he will have his war."

A cold, dark feeling ran up Vader's spine.

The next morning Vader had all but cast away the dark feeling that had haunted him last night. Dugal's mighty army marched across Middle Earth, into the east. It was time for the armies of Middle Earth to fall. Galadriel walked slowly on at the back of the army, with a stormtrooper on either side, and her hands cuffed tightly. Her head was bowed and her eyes remained fixated on the ground in front of her. Closing them, a small tear trickled down her pure cheek.

John ate his breakfast quietly, glancing up now and then to meet the gaze of Trooper 656. He shivered slightly, before focusing his attention back on his food. He didn't remember well enough, but yesterday he believed that he had seen Trooper 656 watching him and Verana. He blushed lightly under his mask when he remembered. He remembered how they had held each other. It was too wonderful to seem real. But then there was the ghostly apparition, the demon in white armor. He was almost sure that it had been Trooper 656. And the fact that Trooper 656 kept glaring at him as they went on, the fact that he didn't seem to trust John anymore.

John was worried. What if he told the others? What would they think? What would they do? They might kill him out of loyalty to the empire, or simply put him under arrest for treason. Then he would be taken to some Imperial Prison somewhere for the rest of his life for being in love with an elf. John's loyalty to the Empire was beginning to deteriorate into nothing.

John stood up suddenly, and walked off away from the camp. He had to get away from it all. It was too much for him. When he was a fare distance away he stopped, and sat down. Gazing over the open horizon John imagined the Old Forest that was said to be just north of their position. He imagined the Wood Elves, happy in their ancient home. Unaware of the doom that was creeping after them.

"Captain," John turned to see Trooper 656 behind him. "You know we can't leave her alive."

His words pierced John's soul like a burning metal stake.

"I don't think we need to kill her," John replied, hiding his emotions.

"You know we'll have to," Trooper 656 countered. "You'll have to. That is... if you're still loyal to the Empire."

John rose to his feet slowly, in a mental denial.

"When she's no longer any use to us you must kill her, to prove to me and yourself that you are loyal to the Empire. Because if you don't, then I will report it to Dugal. He will see that you find a nice place in an Imperial Prison to rot away the rest of your life."

John shook his head, and looked away.

"She has to die."

John shook his head again.
"Alright then. If you're going to be weak, then when we get to the Old Forest and we're finished with her, then I'll kill her. Don't try and stop me. When she's dead, we'll forget all of this, and you'll advance me about fifteen thousand Imperial credits in exchange for my silence."

Trooper 656 turned and walked away. John watched him go.

Five days later the Imperial forces marched upon the Shire while the Last Alliance of Men and Elves watched their approach.

"I figured this war would be short," Isildur commented. "But I never imagined that it would be as short as its turning out to be."

Legions of Stormtroopers, AT-ST's, and AT-PT's marched across the ancient land, preparing to strike out all that was left that stood between them and the creation of Imperial Middle Earth. But then suddenly, the Imperial Army stopped, and turned around. Marching up from behind them came a mighty army of Orks and Goblins.

"At last," Vader whispered. "Sauron has shown his face again."

The Necromancer had indeed. He stood at the top of a hill, towering above his forces, waiting.

"All too easy," Vader murmured, signaling for Dugal to begin the attack.

"Shall we intervene?" an elf soldier voiced as they watched the two mighty armies facing off against each other.

"No," Isildur shook his head. "Let them fight each other. Let them fight until one is finished and the other is weakened. Then we will strike."

Sauron stood atop the hill, gazing down upon the enemy army.

"I call upon you now Morgoth," he silently prayed. "Your dark energy is mine!"

Then with a frightening cry, Sauron raised his arms to the sky, and summoned a fell energy, sending a streak of purple lightning straight across the sky, from the west to the east. When it was gone, nothing that was mechanical could work. Stormtroopers tried in vain to fire their weapons, and the mighty AT-ST's and AT-PT's refused to respond. The Orc armies cried out in victory, before descending upon the unfortunate Imperials.

"What!" Vader watched in horror as the Orcs began overrunning his forces.

Glaring up the hill at Sauron, he watched the Sorcerer lower his arms.

"You will pay for this Sauron," Vader looked at his light saber.

Sensing with the dark side he could feel an energy shield around it, preventing it from being used. By focusing hard enough, Vader was able to tear the shield apart. Grabbing his light saber, he began marching up the hill, cutting down any in his path.

Sauron lowered his arms, and watched Vader marching up towards him.

"Come on you gruesome son of a Warg," he murmered under his breath, "come to me. Yeah, come to me."

Drawing his mace he began walking down the hill towards his enemy.

Vader activated his lightsaber, and held it forth, challenging his enemy's power.

"Your powers are weak Sauron!" he shouted, swinging his light saber in an attack.

Sauron caught the blow against the dark energy of his mace, forcing it back.

"Not as weak as you," he struck forth, slamming the mace into the ground, sending a shock wave into Vader, who threw up a hand in defense.

Charging the force Vader held back the energy, before channeling it back towards Sauron, who took it fully in the chest. Sauron staggered backwards, out of range, before raising up his hands as if in defense.

A fell beast with its Black Rider flew down from the sky towards Vader, who swung his light saber in an arc, sawing off the beast's head as it passed, sending its body crashing to the floor, and spilling the Ringwraith. Sauron seized the opportunity, and leapt forward, swinging his mace, slamming it into Vader's chest and sending him sprawling backwards. He swung it back to deliver the final blow, but Vader sent a blast of the force into him, jolting him back. Vader then leapt to his feet and hurled his light saber. Sauron turned sharply to the right, and the blade sailed past, before looping around and whirling back to Vader's hand like a boomerang as Vader pulled it back with the force.

Sauron swung his mace, sending a mighty blast of energy which caught Vader off guard and sent him flying through the air. Slamming painfully into a tree Vader rightened himself, just in time to deflect what would have been a fatal blow from Sauron's mace. Sauron leapt backwards, charging a blast of purple energy in his fist. Then, he hurled it forward towards Vader, who barely leapt out of the way in time to dodge it.

"There they are sir," Stormtrooper 534, or "Ted" said, pointing through the trees at the Wood elves, laughing and singing enchantingly in the forest.

They couldn't see the Stormtroopers from their position. John just gazed out at them.

"Shall we attack sir?" another Stormtrooper asked.

"Should we attack at all?" John asked, aware that Trooper 656 was glaring at him.

"What do you mean?" another Stormtrooper asked. "We were ordered to..."

"To attack a defenseless settlement?" John challenged. "Look at them. How many good strong men do you see? Huh? I mostly see woman and children. I see innocence."

"Its what the empire ordered," Trooper 656 argued, fingering his gun.

"Let me ask you something," John said. "What are we doing here in this world? We are conquering people who don't deserve to be conquered. We have given Dugal and the others too much of our unspoken loyalty I think."

Ted and the other Stormtroopers were silent, but Trooper 656 would not stop. Verana stood their silently, knowing that in a strange way they were indirectly throwing dice to decide her fate.

Trooper 656 turned to walk away, but whirled around suddenly, drawing his blaster and firing it towards John, who, expecting this, dodged behind a tree quickly. Trooper 656 then leveled the gun towards Verana.

"No!" Ted suddenly jumped up, and positioned himself between Trooper 656 and the girl. "You will not harm our prisoner!"

"I'll shoot you before I see such good Stormtroopers turn against the Empire!" his finger closed on the trigger.

A shot fired suddenly, and silence reigned. Ted looked at Verana, expecting her to slump forward. But no, Trooper 656 suddenly slumped forward, a blaster wound through his chest. Trooper 727 "Ed" threw his blaster down.

"I agree with John," he said. "It is time we gave this up and fought for what was right. You want my opinion?"

He shouldered a rocket launcher.

"I say we do everything we can to stop Dugal," he finished.

John stepped out from behind the tree, smiling behind his mask.

"Whose with me?" he asked.

Every one of the unit nodded and saluted.

"Lead us on Commander!"

John walked up to Verana and uncuffed her hands.

"Go stay with the Wood Elves," he said. "You will be welcome there. But I promise you that as long as there is life in my body I will come back for you."

She smiled, and reached a tentative hand up to touch his cheek. Then she wrapped her arms around him and they embraced.

"I love you," she whispered, before turning and walking into the forest.

Sauron hurled a rock, charging it with dark energy, and it collided with Vader's head, sending him sprawling down the cliff. Sauron leapt down after him, but was caught in a crossfire between two Stormtroopers. Leveling a blast of energy in the direction of both of them, he watched them slump forward dead. But Vader was back on his feet, and angry!

He swung his light saber, slicing off the tip of Sauron's mace. Sauron growled at having been caught off guard, and quickly channeled dark energy back into the weapon to keep it from breaking. Then, swinging what was left of it he caught the Sith Lord across the chest, channeling violent energy into him. Darth Vader wailed as the energy scarred through his flesh, before being hurled backwards, where he crashed painfully to the ground. His light saber skipped across the ground out of his reach, deactivating itself. Sauron knew that it was time. Raising up his fist his ring shone, as the sky overhead began to cloud over.

"With the cold power of Morgoth I..." purple lightning struck the ground beside him.

Slowly, a bright ball of dark energy began to form in Sauron's opened hand, fusing together into a swirling ball of pure annihilation. Darth Vader knew that he would surely die, if he could not stop Sauron from launching that ball of energy. Vader closed his eyes and focused. He knew there was only one power in the dark side which could save him now.

Focusing on the Force, he felt the molecules between him and Sauron. He felt the Force binding them together. He formed a path, and grabbed ahold of the energy. Charging up the connections he channeled the energy of the Force into a straight path, between him and Sauron. He reached out his hands, binding the energy, and then setting it alight. Without warning Force Lightning suddenly shot out of Vader's fingers, scarring into Sauron. He screamed and unearthly wail as the electricity burned his flesh, shooting through his armor, through his bones, through his blood vessels. The purple ball of energy in his hand exploded, and he was sent stumbling backwards.

Vader was immediately back on his feet, and used the Force to pull his light saber back to him. Leaping forward, he struck. Sauron threw up his mace in protection. Everything went in slow motion. Vader swung, Sauron lifted his mace. Then, ever so slightly, Vader altered his weapon's path, moving it slightly down and to the right. The light saber blade whizzed by, missing Sauron's mace and singing right past Sauron's ear as it swung back upwards. Sauron looked down, and watched as his left arm unhinged from his chest, and fell to the ground. His mind was overtaken by rage. Sauron swung forwards, twirling his mace in his hands, intending to take off Vader's head with a single blow. But Vader swung his light saber, and knocked the mace out of Sauron's hand. Then he punched him in the face, sending him to his knees.

Pain racked through Sauron's body, mostly from the blood pumping out of his body from where his arm had been. Glaring up into the eyes of Vader he watched as the Sith Lord drew his light saber back. Sauron's lips then curved upwards in a smile.

"Well done Vader," he whispered under his breath. "But now you will suffer."

Vader plunged his light saber straight through Sauron's helmet face, drilling through his nose and through his skull. Sauron wailed as dark energy exploded all through his body. His flesh began to crumple, and Vader's attention turned to the ring glowing brightly on Sauron's right hand. Vader then swung his light saber to the left, and hacked off Sauron's right forearm. The arm with the ring in it sailed ten feet away, and Sauron's body exploded as dark energy shot out wards. Vader threw a hand up to charge a shield of Force energy around him in protection.

Sauron's helmet fell to the ground, it was all that was left. But Vader's focus was on Sauron's severed limb. Lifting it slowly up from the ground he gazed at the ring. He shivered as he stared at the ancient words marked around the band. Slowly the forearm began to disintegrate. Vader grabbed the ring in one hand, and tore it from Sauron's cold dead fingers. Then, throwing down the forearm he held the ring up to the sky. He lifted up Sauron's empty helmet, and held it to the sky, raising it beside the One Ring.

All of a sudden, like a curse being lifted the Stormtrooper's weapons could work again! Gunfire replaced the previous screaming, as the Imperials, who had previously been overrun, began to cut through Sauron's armies like a hot knife through butter.

John and his forces ran out from the forest, and gazed out at the broken battlefield. The Orcs were in full retreat, and the Imperials stood there triumphantly. They were too late.

"Oh no..." he whispered.

"We have done it!" Dugal smiled, as Stormtroopers cheered all around him.

Then, slowly, his forces and he turned to face the Last Alliance of Men and Elves. Isildur and Elrond just stared back in amazement at what they had just seen. The Dark Lord Sauron had been singlehandedly massacred, and his forces had been overrun. So in a strange, ironic way there wish had been granted, Sauron was dead. Dugal raised his hand, and all the Stormtroopers lifted their guns towards the armies of Middle Earth. Without a word Isildur and Elrond each dropped their weapons. Their armies followed suit.

"Victory is ours Gentlemen!" Dugal announced, stepping forward through the ranks.

Vader slowly made his way back to his troops, as they cheered and hollered. Through the celebration he could see Galadriel. She was weeping. She looked up, and he met her tear stained gaze. He lifted up his hand, as if to show her that he had the ring. She glanced at the ring, and then back up to his eyes, as if asking if he would take it or not. Without a word Vader slowly slide the ring down, onto his ring finger. Then, he disappeared. Galadriel looked away.

So Vader wins eh? I think we all saw this coming. But fear not, it isn't over yet. I think you will be quite pleased at what I have in mind.